Chef Meg's Healthy Chicken Vegetable Casserole

Try this inexpensive and fresh version of a chicken casserole--no need for processed soups or sauces!

INGREDIENTS
12 oz chicken breasts, boneless and skinless, poached, and cubed into 1/2 inch squares
2 T all purpose flour
2 T butter, unsalted
10 oz skim milk
1 pinch white pepper
1 t Italian seasoning
1 T parmesan cheese, grated
7 oz penne pasta, whole wheat
2 yellow or orange bell peppers, chopped
1 zucchini, chopped
2 heads, approx. 12 ounces broccoli, chopped
1/3 c monterey jack cheese
nonstick cooking spray

DIRECTIONS
Place chicken breasts in a small saucepan with a lid. Cover chicken with cool water. Place saucepan over a burner on low to moderate heat. Bring to a simmer; cover with lid and poach for approximately 20 minutes or until chicken is cooked. (This step can be done the night before.)

Prepare the white sauce by placing the butter in a small sauce pot that has been preheated over medium heat. Once the butter foams, add flour and stir for 1 minute; try not to let the mixture turn brown. Add milk to the mixture and continue to stir until it starts to bubble. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Add pepper, Italian seasoning and parmesan cheese to the sauce. Stir to combine. Cook pasta according to package directions. While pasta is cooking, preheat oven to 350 degrees. During the last minute of the pasta's cooking, add the chopped broccoli to the water. Allow to simmer for one minute.

Drain the pasta and broccoli. Spritz the bottom and sides of a 9 X 13 oven-proof casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine the pasta and broccoli with the chicken and chopped vegetables; cover with the sauce. Place in the baking dish. Sprinkle with the Monterey jack cheese and cover with foil.

Bake for 20 minutes; remove foil and continue to bake until cheese is melted.

Number of Servings: 6

Source: Spark Recipes

Faux Fried Rice

Another cauliflower recipe, got good reviews on WW boards…

Faux Fried Rice
1 head of raw cauliflower, grated (had about 3.5 cups of grated, loosely packed cauliflower)
1-2 bunches green onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 - 3 Tbsp. of soy sauce
1/2 to 1 tsp. of garlic salt (don’t use too much - it’s salty from the soy sauce)
3 eggs, beaten
Oil
Pork (bacon), chicken, or shrimp, cooked (optional)
In a wok or large pan, heat enough oil to cover bottom of pan. Fry minced garlic and white part of onions for approx. 1 min. Add grated cauliflower and fry for approximately 5 min, stirring constantly. Add soy sauce, garlic salt, green onion tops, and meat (optional) and stir until mixed. Push mixture to side of pan. Add more oil if necessary, and scramble eggs in empty side of pan until done but still moist. Stir eggs into "rice" and remove from heat.
Serves 4 as a side dish.

Cauliflower Rice, what will they think of next….

BASIC RECIPE: Ingredients:
1 head cauliflower (or however much you want)
Preparation:
To make this dish the most easily and to have it come out the best, three pieces of equipment are very helpful:
- A food processor
- A microwave
- A covered (or fairly tightly coverable) microwave-safe dish

Wash cauliflower. Cut into small size florets. Process fresh cauliflower until it is the size of rice, either using the plain steel blade or the shredder blade. Alternatively, you can shred it with a hand-held grater, or even use a knife, if you have the dexterity to chop it up VERY finely.

Microwave it in a covered dish for 4-5 minutes. DO NOT ADD WATER. Cauliflower absorbs water like crazy, and the "granules" will become gummy. To keep it fluffy, just let the moisture in the cauliflower do its work.

Here’s a link to a video showing how to make it… and here is a link to the orange, almond cauliflower rice  pictured above

No Guilt Fettuccine

In honor of National Fettuccine Alfredo Day (tomorrow…yay!), HG's whipped up yet another delicious and completely guilt-free Alfredo dish. A heaping bowl of our creamy pasta with chicken has less than one-fifth the amount of calories in Macaroni Grill's ridiculous version. And ours will also save you more than 90 fat grams. Yes, NINETY! Check it out:




Ingredients:

1 package House Foods Tofu Shirataki noodles, Fettuccine Shape**
1 wedge The Laughing Cow cheese, Light Original Swiss
2 tsp. fat-free sour cream
2 tsp. reduced fat grated parmesan cheese
5 oz. skinless chicken breast; grilled with nonstick spray only
Optional: salt, pepper, and paprika

Directions:

Drain and rinse noodles well. Dry noodles thoroughly (use paper towels to soak up as much moisture as possible) and use a knife to slice them up a bit. Next, top noodles with both cheeses and fat-free sour cream, then microwave for one minute. Stir and microwave for one additional minute. Slice up chicken breast and add to pasta. For added zing, season to taste with salt, pepper, and paprika. Enjoy!

Serving Size: Entire recipe
Calories: 250
Fat: 5.5g
Sodium: 445mg
Carbs: 10g
Fiber: 4g
Sugars: 1g
Protein: 38g


*5 Points!